It is a common practice to use a pool liner in both in-ground and above-ground pools. While pool liners are utilized as a means for providing decorative pool walls, their most important function is to ensure the watertight integrity of the pools. There are a variety of ways to connect and retain pool liners to the top of pools, but it is the hydrostatic pressure of the water in the pools which maintains the liners in position against the pool walls. And it is very important that liners remain adjacent to the pool walls in order to successfully accomplish their watertight function.
However, many pools, especially those which are several years old, will experience what is known as “floating liners.” A liner will “float” when water finds its way into the space between the liner and the pool walls. This water can enter the space by means of leakage through the walls or floors of the pools or through loose pipe/filter connections. A common source of unwanted water into this space is from groundwater which builds up around the pool due to landscaping changes around the pool area, slowing of the water absorption rate of the adjacent ground, and the natural settling of the ground under and around the pool. When the ground settles beneath the pool, channels are formed around the pool's outside perimeter and water fills the channels. The water and hence the water pressure builds up in this area, forcing water into the pool and under the liner, eventually causing it to “float” away from the pool walls.
There are a number of tell-tale signs which indicate that a pool has a floating liner. Such signs include a liner which has slipped out of its tracking, the appearance of wrinkles around step areas and at the shallow end of the pool, a liner which is coming off the pool walls and floor, and large bubbles in the shallow end of the pool.
Currently, there are only limited ways to address the problem of a floating liner. The landscaping around the pool can be rerouted so that the surface water is redirected away from the pool. A permanent foot valve system can be installed or a submersible pump can be inserted in the space between the liner and the wall. The entire pool can be drained and the liner reset or replaced and the pool refilled. None of these alternatives will permanently solve the problem of fluid or water buildup which results in a floating liner.